Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1545206
8 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2026 of removing flux residues from highly dense elec- tronic assemblies. The information was extremely applicable and relevant. Changes in PCB feature sizes are affecting everything in cleaning. We're cleaning no-clean fluxes in some cases, because there's zero toler- ance for residue. The formulations are changing, and legacy cleaning equipment sometimes can- not perform as required under today's standards. Bixenman, Sitko, and Klett made these challenges very clear, and I knew that the topic needed a much wider audience, so I invited them to contrib- ute to this issue on cleaning. In his article, Sitko reviews the main types of cleaning equipment, how they work, and what they're best suited for. Klett discusses state-of-the- art cleaning solution chemistries, and Bixenman explains how shrinking geometries and changing component dimensions are creating new challeng- es. Grouped together, these three articles present a solid explanation of today's cleaning processes. But that's not all. In his article, Jon Dean of Cold Jet reveals an entirely different implementation to cleaning: dry ice pressure. This process has been perfected in other industries, and now, the company is bringing its approach to electronic assemblies. Also in this issue, we focus on reliability. Stan Rak's EV reliability series discusses the impor- tance of materials, and MacDermid Alpha's Ebad Rehman contributes an article titled, "Right-Sizing Silver," a deep dive into solder formulations to N O L A N 'S N OT ES improve reliability. On a more celebratory note, we join Andrea Furnari and Dustin Warren to reflect on SPEA's 50- year anniversary. I bet you didn't know that SPEA founder, Luciano Bonari, is still active in the com- pany. We also highlight an exciting new venture for EPTAC, which opened a fabulous training facility in New Hampshire to much fanfare. Find out how this move will have a positive impact on the industry. From our columnists, Brian Buyea discusses "When Material Choice Defines RF Performance," Nash Bell makes a case for the component recla- mation, and Josh Casper ponders "When Tradition- al Depaneling Methods Reach Their Limits." Of course, this is all made possible by our adver- tising partners, whose support has kept our work moving forward for all these years. In addition, look through our help-wanted section in each issue. We continue to live and dream electronics manufactur- ing (right alongside our passionate and dedicated readers), so enjoy this month's issue, and we'll see you again in July. Nolan Johnson is managing editor of SMT007 Magazine. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience focused almost entirely on electronics design and manufacturing. To contact Johnson, click here.